Commonly applied cleaning methods for a cooking device or appliance typically comprise a cleaning step which is followed by a rinse and descaling step, to prevent leaving water marks and/or scale deposition in the cooking cavity by the rinse water while it is drying off.
EP 0 892 220 discloses a method for cleaning the interior of an oven for the heating of foods, whereby the floor of the oven interior is at least completely covered with a cleaning solution, and whereby the cleaning solution is circulated by a circulation device, so that the inside surfaces of the interior are flushed with this cleaning solution. After cleaning, the cleaning solution may be neutralised and/or a descaling agent may be applied. The cleaning concentrate and descaling agent are supplied to the interior of the oven via separate containers. Additional water can be supplied into the interior of the oven via an external water connection upon utilization of the conduits for cleaning concentrate and descaling agent.
WO 2003/073002 relates to a method for cleaning the interior of cooking devices, wherein at least one cleaning, rinsing and/or descaling agent is used in solid and compressed form, dissolvable in a liquid and in the form of a cleaning, rinsing and/or descaling tablet, or at least one multiphase tablet containing a cleaning phase, rinse phase and/or descaling phase component that were produced at different molding pressures and/or at different molding intervals. The dissolution behavior of the solid can be influenced by adding suitable dissolution retarders and by the way the cleaning agent is introduced into the cooking compartment. The temporal dissolution behavior of tablets or multiphase tablets can be controlled via a fan wheel in the cooking chamber.
DE 10 2004 016 821 discloses cleaning of the interior of cooking equipment including a cooking space, an outlet and/or a condenser comprises the following treatments at least in the cooking space (1) a vapor treatment phase involving use of a vapor atmosphere for a given time; (2) a rinsing phase involving use of a first fluid, especially a rinse-wash liquor; and (3) a post-washing phase involving use of a second fluid, especially rinsing with a post-washing liquor. In preferred embodiments, the rinsing phase is preceded by at least one descaling phase involving use of a descaling liquor.
Common rinse-aid liquors for oven cleaning typically contain a non-ionic surfactant and a descaling agent, such as citric acid.
Despite the numerous efforts in the field of cleaning cooking appliances, there is still the need to avail of a simple cleaning method that allows a rinsing step using tap water only and that does not leave water marks, scale deposits, and the like, in the cooking chamber.